Thomson said the decision to buy ParkerVision's video business came in response to growing demand from its broadcast customers for greater integration between production and automation solutions and for systems that cut the time and cost of live production and new operations. The sale will provide ParkerVision with the cash to concentrate on the wireless side of its business.
The purchase of ParkerVision's video division will also allow Thomson to capitalise on the lucrative live production and automation market and boost its existing business in this area. According to Thomson, the live production market is worth in the region of $1.5bn (£800m) a year worldwide, with growth of between 8% and 10% expected by 2008.
The deal will see ParkerVision's PTV automated playout and Cameraman camera control technologies integrated with Thomson's existing live production equipment, in particular its Grass Valley digital news production workflow. The PTV technology provides a link between functions that normally need multiple operators and creates one automated control system. The integration will also provide a better link between news production systems and news control rooms.
'Thomson will continue to develop this platform to provide smaller stations with the same robust and reliable systems on which major broadcast operations rely,' said Marc Valentin, president of Thomson Broadcast & Media Solutions.
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